In Pictures: Winter Is Here. Snow Falls In Parts Of South Africa

As winter and snow take hold over large parts of South Africa, Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has appealed to citizens to keep warm as a cold weather pattern unfolds in the coming days.

The cold fronts that brought the snow went as low as 1,200 to 1,400m above sea level, as a result, the Table Mountain which is about 1,085m above sea level also experienced the snow.

“The Western Cape and Northern Cape should brace for very cold maximum temperatures, <10°C in places, with a general decrease in temperatures expected across the rest of the country,” says SAWS Chief Forecaster Ezekiel Sebego.

He, however, cautioned that with the snow, there was likely to be disruptions in traffic, adding that mountain passes in the affected areas could be closed for safety reasons.

Snow flurries have been seen on the top of Table Mountain while snow has also fallen on the Swartberg Mountain range near Beaufort West in the Karoo. The Hottentots Holland Mountains near Somerset West are also capped in snow and snow is falling in the Swartberg Pass and in the mountains near Ceres.

The drought-stricken region also received a bit of rain. Kirstenbosch has recorded the highest rainfall with 39,2 millimetres followed by Paarl with 26,6 millimetres.

The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, has appealed to South Africans to keep warm as a cold weather pattern unfolds in the coming days.

“In light of the severe weather warning for the coming days, I would like to appeal to all those people living in low-lying areas of the Western Cape to prepare for possible flooding, and to all other citizens to unpack their jerseys and blankets to keep warm,” said Minister Molewa.

A portal dedicated to reporting on snow, Snow Report South Africa, continued to share materials from people who were experiencing the snow. They shared videos and photos as did other social media enthusiasts who were caught up in the snow.